Venezuela President says may jail Heinz managers for "sabotage"

CARACAS Dec 1 (Reuters) - The managers of Kraft Heinz's
Venezuelan operations may be imprisoned if found
committing "sabotage", President Nicolas Maduro said on state
television Tuesday night.

The latest move against a multinational company in Venezuela
comes days before legislative elections in which the ruling
Socialist Party is expected to lose its majority in the National
Assembly for the first time in a decade and a half.

It is not the first time the president has rallied against
business leaders and ordered their imprisonment, following in
the footsteps of his predecessor Hugo Chavez who expropriated
small to multinational business operations in Venezuela.

Maduro said during a four-hour television program that
workers had denounced the food and beverage company for
"unjustifiably" paralyzing production lines.

"If the managers are committing sabotage, here's the head of
Sebin (Venezuela's intelligence service) and he'll put them in
prison right away," said Maduro, adding that officials would
visit factories first thing Wednesday morning.

"Enough of the bourgeoisie. Imprison them."

The economy is one of voters' key concerns, with inflation
thought to be in the triple digits and shortages of the most
basic goods leading to long supermarket lines.

Critics see Maduro's anti-business rhetoric as an attempt to
drum up support ahead of Sunday's vote, and say attacking
businesses will only worsen shortages.
(Reporting by Girish Gupta and Eyanir Chinea; Editing by Ryan
Woo)